


Happily Ever After

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Post Bartlett Administration, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-10
Updated: 2005-03-10
Packaged: 2019-05-15 20:38:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14797571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: 12 years later.





	1. Happily Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Happily Ever After**

**by: Dee**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
 **Rating:** MATURE  
 **Disclaimer:** Not mine. His.   
**Summary:** 12 years later. Sequel to "The Middle"  
 **Feedback:** Always a pleasure.  


"Shhh, he's coming." Donna had to put a hand on Nora's shoulder to keep her from bouncing out of her skin. 

"This is stupid," Nate informed them all with the strived for coolness of someone who was about to turn sixteen

"Yeah," Jess concurred. "He just saw us last weekend."

"This is different. He's not expecting us. Now shhh or you will ruin the surprise."

The four waited patiently when they heard the key in the lock. Then the door opened and Nora let out a shrieking, "Surprise!"

"Ahhh," Josh shouted in response.

Donna laughed. He could be such an easy target sometimes.

He relaxed when he saw who it was and found himself delighted to see his family in the foyer of their DC residence on a Monday night. "Hey guys. What are you doing here?"

Nora ran up and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. "It's a surprise. We're going to live here for the summer instead of home."

Josh looked to Donna. "I thought we said it would be too much of a hassle this year to relocate for the two months until we go into recess in August."

"We did, but some of us changed our minds."

"Mom did," Nate clarified. "I'm missing the summer soccer league."

Donna slapped her son upside the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"We all decided that it would be a good idea to spend the summer in DC with you until we can all go home together in August."

"Whatever. Can I go now? Hartman's spending the summer here too. We're going to meet up and head to Union Station."

Donna glared at her son. "Don't you want to spend some time with your family?"

"This isn't it?"

Josh laughed and set his brief case down. He bent to pick up Nora and realized that at seven she was almost getting too big to carry. Almost, he thought, but not quite yet. "Fine. Fine. Go ahead. Hartman? That's Congressman Hartman's kid right? The one with weird nose?"

"Josh!" Donna admonished.

"No, Mom. Dad's right. He does have a weird nose."

"And a seventeen year old sister," Josh said smugly. 

"Oooh, is she cute?" Donna wanted to know watching her son bluspainfully.

"Let's just say she didn't get the weird Hartman nose gene," Josh told her.

"Don't even go there, Dad."

"Nate's got a girlfriend," Donna and Josh sang together making their daughters giggle.

"Geez, will you two grow up."

"My son, the player," Josh announced. 

"You are both so uncool," Nate scoffed knowing is face was beat red now. But he couldn't help it. Jeanie was in fact a hottie. 

"All right," Donna relented. "But you're home by eleven."

"Yeah."

"What about your report card?"

"It's on the kitchen counter," Nate called out as he was already half way out the door.

Josh watched him run down the steps. "That can't be good news." He set Nora down and walked over to receive a kiss from Jess. "Whaabout you?"

"I got a C in home ec," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "We had to make dough and it was totally gross."

"Dough huh?"

"Raw dough, Dad."

Josh actually shuddered.

Jess turned back to her mother. "Can I call and see if Mary Grace is here for the summer?"

"Fine, but you're limited to one half hour on the phone."

"But Mom…"

"One half hour," Donna insisted as her daughter skipped up the steps. "She gets her long windedness from you, you know."

Josh placed a hand over his heart as if in pain. He knelt down in front of his youngest. "And what about you? How was your report card?"

"I got a VG in everything."

"Eleanor Lyman!" Donna rebuked

"I got a very good in almost everything," she corrected.

"She got a Fair in behavior," Donna told him.

"Uh oh. Fair huh."

"The teacher says she talks out of turn."

Josh tried not to smile. "Yes, but are you right?"

"Always, Daddy."

"That's my girl. We'll let the Fair go this time, but you're going to have work on letting the other kids have a chance to get the answers right."

"But I can't help it if I know everything," she said pleading her case.

"Tell me about it."

Nora turned back to her mother. "Can I go arrange my dolls now?"

"Sure," Donna said. "But it's lights out in an hour for you."

"Kay, Mommy." Nora tromped up the steps of the brownstone in true dramatic fashion.

Josh got off his knees slowly and wondered at exactly what point had his joints turned against him. Best he can figure it was sometime around fifty-five.

Donna walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Surprise," she said before kissing him.

She felt his arms tighten around her and felt the familiar tingle in her belly when he deepened the kiss. After all these years, kissing her husband could still turn her knees to jello. She was so lucky.

"You said it would be too much hassle," Josh said nipping at her lips.

"I did," she confirmed.

"You said Nate had soccer, and Jess wanted to take riding lessons."

"I did."

"You said we could do two more months apart easy as long as we saw each other every weekend."

"Did I?"

Josh chuckled and kissed his wife again. "You so miss me."

"Oh you think I came down here for you?"

"You didn't?"

"Maybe I have a lover that I couldn't be separated from."

"Yeah right," Josh snorted.

"I can have a lover!" Donna insisted.

"Okay who is he?"

Donna thought about it. "Antonio."

"Antonio? What is it with you and weird named men?"

"He's Italian. An international race car driver."

"Oh an unemployed gomer. Go figure."

Donna reached down and pinched her husband's ass in retaliation. Josh laughed and kept his arm around her waist as they walked to the kitchen. "I was going to order pizza."

"I made spaghetti and meatballs. Just hit five on the micro to heat it up."

Josh opened the micro and checked the well doneness of the meatballs. They passed inspection so he hit the start button. "You eating?"

"No I already ate."

The micro dinged and he put his plate on the island in the middle othe kitchen and pulled up a stool.

Donna set out a fork for him and not surprisingly an extra one for herself. He took up a bite and looked up to see her holding Nate's report card. "Let me see it."

"Josh, I don't want you to freak out. It's a good report card."

"Fine then let me see it."

"He got an A in English, History, and Biology."

"Fine then let me see it."

"He got an A in Art. Apparently he inherited that from me."

"You can't draw."

"But I played the flute."

Josh's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Music, Art it's all linked to the same gene."

"Let me see it." 

Donna handed over the envelope

"A C in Geometry," Josh sighed. "He said he was hoping for a B."

"He didn't do so well on the final. It's just not his strong suit."

"Why not," Josh complained. "I never had a problem with Math."

"Good for you. Nate does."

"You know what this is going to do to his GPA? Every grade counts if he wants…"

"Josh we talked about this and we said no Harvard pressure."

"We said not too much Harvard pressure."

"No you said not too much. I said none at all. He doesn't have to go to Harvard if he doesn't want to."

"But…"

"Look at me. I dropped out of college, ended up working on a nationacampaign, then in the White House and have written three, count them one two three…"

"Something our son has problems doing," Josh muttered.

"Books for publication. So it's not all about going to Harvard."

"You're right," Josh agreed.

Donna seemed relieved.

"It's only mostly about going to Harvard."

She gave him her patented `I can't believe you just said that look' accompanied with a head tilt. Her blond hair brushed against her shoulder and realized that she seemed to be cutting it shorter every year. Sometimes he missed the way it fell down her back when they were making love. But this short hair was fun to run his fingers through and muss it up. He liked a mussed up Donna. Then he realizethat his plans for later evening, which had included a scotch and several briefing memos, just got upgraded to reunion sex.

"Nate's grades are excellent. He's Vice-President of his class…"

"But not President."

"He's on the year book. He's going to be a captain next year on the varsity soccer team. He's a great kid with good friends and a very healthy attitude given the circumstances in which he's been raised as the son of a very prominent senator and… well… me."

"You?"

"I am a bestselling author, Josh," Donna reminded him.

Since he was all about getting some reunion sex, and he figured that pushing the Harvard issue might in some way infringe on that, he decided to let the matter drop. 

"And how come you didn't give Jess a hard time for her C? Please don't tell me that you expect Nate to follow in your vaulted footsteps to Harvard but you don't have the same expectations for your daughter."

Tread lightly, Josh thought. Reunion sex was on the table. 

"Harvard is not keeping anyone out for poor bread making skills. And yes I expect all my children to go. In fact there's an open house coming up that I want to take Nora to. You know it's never too early to instill good college values. We'll keep the Fair to ourselves."

Donna considered this and decided to let him win. No point fighting when she was planning on some reunion sex tonight. She and Josh were excellent at reunion sex.

Donna watched him as he ate and thought that he despite his advanced years her husband still looked good to her. He was going to be sixty next year and it was driving him nuts. But to her he hadn't changed much since the day she first met him. Sure he was a little thicker, a lot grayer, but his hair, which she had been sure would have all fallen out by now, was still holding strong and sticking up at the weirdest angles.

Picking up her fork she stabbed one of the meatballs on his plate and popped it into her mouth. "You know you shouldn't encourage her. The teacher said that she was concerned that Nora was too high strung."

"What did you tell her?"

"To go stuff herself. And that my child was perfect."

Josh smiled. "What did she say to that?"

"That maybe I'm to blame for Nora's rather inflated ego. Naturally I told her it was all your fault."

"Naturally."

"What did you do today?"

"I was briefed on yet another terrorist plot to bomb our embassy in Paris. I don't know why they always go for that one. I co-wrote a bill to provide stop loss government insurance against lost social security dollars in private accounts, and I cast the deciding vote to appropriate 4.2 billion dollars in new education spending."

"So just another day."

"Pretty much."

"And how is the new assistant working out," Donna asked striving for casualness.

"She's fine. She's not Helen."

"I liked Helen."

"You liked Helen because she was seventy two."

"I did," Donna admitted. "Why couldn't you keep Helen?"

"Because she wanted to retire. I explained that you wanted her to work until her death but she couldn't be swayed."

"Go figure. So what's this new one's name?"

"Candi. And she's not technically mine. Charlie mostly runs the show. She reports more to him than she does to me."

"Good to know. And how old is she?"

"I don't know. Twenty something."

"Mmm hmmm. And the name Gary Condit still rings a bell with you right? It was a long time ago so I'm afraid your memory might have failed you."

"Donna I'm not going to have an affair with someone I work with."

"Don't I know it," Donna grumbled.

"I'll wait until they vote me out and ask Candi if she wants to writa book with me. I know from experience that line gets them every time."

"Har har. You know you're putting at risk…"

"Reunion sex I know, but I couldn't stop myself. How long has it been?"

"Well I saw you last weekend but we had the thing until one on Friday, and Nora was sick on Saturday so it must have been the weekend before that."

"No because you didn't get here until Saturday morning and that night was dinner with Charlie and Aleshia and you got tipsy on marguerites. I practically had to carry you to bed. And then that morning you had the hangover from hell."

"That's right. So it's been weeks. Almost a month," Donna figured.

They stared at each other at the realization.

"We are getting old," Josh said forlornly. 

"We've never gone a month," Donna pouted.

"We'll have to make it up tonight."

"Yeah?" she said wiggling her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah."


	2. Happily Ever After 2

 

**Happily Ever After**

**by: Dee**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
 **Rating:** MATURE  
 **Disclaimer:** Not mine. His.   
**Summary:** 12 years later. Sequel to "The Middle"  
 **Feedback:** Always a pleasure.  


* * *

"Hmm," Josh groaned a bit. 

"Mmm," Donna repeated running her hand down his back and stopping ahis boxers to burrow her fingers underneath and stroke his butt. In the meantime he was kissing a trail from her ear to her necpositioning his hardening sex against the v of her body rocking just enough to give her a hint of what was to come.

And Donna knew it would be good. In the seventeen years they had been married the sex was always good. Sometimes it was wild, sometimes it was soft, sometimes it just felt good, and sometimes it blew both of their socks off. 

Josh was as virile as ever even if he was slower to come, but thajust made things last longer. Together they tended to linger over every touch, every kiss.

"I missed this," Donna whispered as Josh lifted his head so he could kiss her again.

"Me too. Too long," he muttered before he pushed his tongue into her mouth so he could taste her. To him she was like ice cream. It always tasted the same but it was always good. 

Donna brought one of her legs up and wrapped it around his hip, pushing herself into him and letting him know that tonight she needed him almost desperately

"Mommy," Nora shouted from the other side of their bedroom door accompanied with several loud knocks. "I can't sleep. The bed is strange."

Josh rested his forehead on Donna's. 

"Nora you sleep in that bed every weekend. It's not strange," Donnshouted back hoping that would do the trick.

"But it's strange on Monday! Can I come in and sleep with you anDaddy?"

"No!" they shouted together. 

"I'll get her," Donna said and Josh rolled to his side with a groanShe got out of bed and Josh took in the site of her in her short silk nighty that she had worn for the occasion. She was going to be fiftin a few years and it was driving her crazy but as far as he waconcerned she still had a phenomenal figure. Her legs were just as long. Her hips were fuller and her breasts too after three kids but it only served to make her sexier in his eyes. 

Donna covered herself with a light robe and opened the bedroom door with a stern expression. 

"Nora we talked about this," Donna said gently taking her daughter by the hand and leading her back to her bedroom. "You're getting too old to get in bed with Mommy and Daddy every time you decide you can't sleep."

"But I'm all awake. And I can't sleep no matter how hard I try."

Donna nudged Nora back into her bed and covered her up with a blanket. "That's because your mind is always going."

"I know," Nora whispered. "I can't turn it off. I think I need a switch."

Donna smiled and kissed her daughter on the nose. "Just close your eyes and think of the sky and the stars. And then when you have that picture in your mind start to count the stars one by one and before you know it you'll fall asleep."

"Okay, Mommy." Nora reached up with her arms for another kiss and hug. Donna willingly complied and waited until Nora was ready to let go. 

Donna got up and closed the door halfway shut like her daughter liked it. She checked in on Jess in the next room who was thankfully sound asleep then made her way back into the bedroom where Josh was not waiting for. Instead the light on his bedstand was on and he'd put on his reading glasses to study a briefing memo.

"Josh!"

Immediately, he chucked the memo and removed his glasses. "What? No. I'm ready. I'm ready. I just didn't know how long it was going to take to get her down."

Donna pouted for a minute knowing that they were going to have to start all over again. Thinking along those lines she lowered the roboff her shoulders one at a time, then with a little shimmer she leit slide to the floor.

"Now you're thinking," Josh encouraged her with a smile.

Using her sexy walk, she slinked her way across the bedroom ancrawled up onto the bed like a cat stalking her prey.

When she was hovering over his mouth she dipped her head as if too kiss him but pulled away when he lifted his head to meet her. 

"Oh no," she told him seductively. "You're being punished for reading memos."

"Cool," he murmured letting his wife take the lead as she lowered her silk covered breasts to his cotton-covered chest. Time to lose thshirt he thought. But Donna was way ahead of him. She straddled his body and practically sat on his lap. She started to tug his shirt up his body when they both heard the definitive sound of the door closing downstairs.

Both eyes went to the alarm clock on Josh's side of the bed. It was eleven thirty.

"I didn't even realize," Donna said a little guiltily so preoccupied with getting her husband in bed that she didn't even know her son wasn't home at his appointed time.

They looked at each other and weighed the pros and cons of disciplining Nate considering he was only a half hour late and thewere both really horny. 

"You've got to," Donna said reading her husband's mind. "It's hifirst night out of the summer. If we don't stop this now…"

"I know. I know." Josh helped lift Donna off his hips and got out of bed. His erection was somewhat pronounced under his shorts after all that punishment talk and he was aware that he was going to need a robe for the confrontation. He pulled one out of his closet and tied it securely around his waist. "Remind me why we decided to have kids."

"It was all your idea." Donna stretched out on the bed in a seductive pose lifting her nighty just over her thighs to give him a glimpse othe promise land. 

Josh stood at the door for a minute fighting with his need for his wife and his duty toward his kid. Duty won out, but the kid was going to suffer as a result of his poor timing. 

Josh was waiting at the top of the stairs when Nate looked up and realized he'd been caught.

"Dad, I know I'm half hour late, but I swear the Metro took forever…"

"Oh please. You're going with the Metro as an excuse."

Nate rethought his options. In this case the truth wasn't all that bad. "We went to see a nine o'clock movie and it didn't get out until after eleven."

"And you knew when you decided to see the movie that that would be the case."

"Yeah," he sighed.

"And you could have done what to prevent this little incident?"

"Called," Nate recited.

"Yeah and calling your dad in front of the guys would have been uncool. I know. You're in for the next two nights and you're curfew is cut to 10:30 until I decide you've figured out the meaning of `on time'."

"Fine," Nate muttered with just the right amount of attitude.

"Hey, this isn't Connecticut Nate. It's DC and it's dangerous. We live in the nice area of South Capitol sure, but ten blocks south there are drugs, gangs, and everything else you need steer clear of. This curfew isn't for our health it's for yours. Got it."

"Got it."

"And tomorrow you'll apologize to your mother."

"She was worried?"

Actually she was crawling over Josh's body and threatening sexual punishment, but he wasn't going to tell his son that. "Worried sick."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"Tell her tomorrow." Josh turned and headed back to the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and was dismayed to see that Donna had turned out the lights. 

"Donna."

No answer. 

"Tell me you didn't go to sleep, Donna. Please."

No answer

Josh sighed in defeat. Children, he had learned long ago, were hell on his sex life. He shucked off the robe and crawled into bed antried not to be too disappointed. He turned on his side wanting to aleast feel his wife sleeping next to him, when he discovered that instead of silk Donna was covered in nothing but skin.

He chuckled and let his hand roam over her belly. "Oh I get it. We've gone from seducer to seduced all in one night. This is quite a night for us."

"Hmm, I'm so sleepy and so unaware of what's happening to me," she play acted

"All the better to ravish you," he muttered kissing her shoulder and turning her to face him so he could see her smiling face. 

"Nate's cool."

"Yep."

"You really going to ravish me?"

"Oh yeah."

****

"Donna," Josh said feeling her breathing start to even out.

"What?" she asked drowsily. Reunion sex always took the energy out of her. Her muscles felt like damp noodles.

"You ever think we'll be too old for this."

"Never," she said instantly running her hand along his fur-covered chest. A chest that was now covered with more gray hair than brown.

"You ever think that everything is going by too fast."

This had her sitting up on her elbow so she could see his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just… I feel so good sometimes. So lucky and I just want to hold on to it. I don't want it to change."

"Everything changes, Josh."

"I know. Your hair is shorter. Nate's starting to rebel. The little boy who used to call me buddy just tried to pull the metro warunning late excuse."

"Oh no."

"He's in the for the next two nights and I revoked a half hour until he learns we're serious about curfew."

"Okay."

"Nora is going to be eight. Jess is going to be a teenager soon."

"God help us all," Donna muttered.

"It just seems like it's all going by so fast. I feel like it wayesterday when you were in the cube across from my office and I waholding your panties in my hand."

Donna chuckled at the memory despite herself. "That was not funnyJosh."

"It was hysterically funny. Your name was in them."

"I had a roommate, we shared laundry runs. It was all perfectly legitimate. And what about you almost setting the White House on fire and blaming Sam."

"Now that was not funny."

"Or the time you and Toby put the live turkeys in CJ's office."

"Yeah," Josh sighed, the mention of Toby's name suddenly making hifeel melancholy. It had been twelve years, the night Jess was born, since he'd seen him. At the time he felt justified in cutting him ouof his life, but now he was wondering where he was. What he was doing.

"You should call him," Donna said.

"Don't start," Josh warned her.

"You miss him."

"It's been years."

"So."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." Donna rubbed his chest again. "Remember the time you had to give the press conference and ended up being responsible for a secreplan to fight inflation."

He smiled. "Remember the time you showed up at Sam's Halloween party and you were the only one wearing a costume. I believe you were a bunny."

"Now that's really not funny. You told me it was a costume party."

Josh only chuckled harder. "I guess we're not old as long as we can remember all that stuff right."

"Yeah," Donna sighed. "We're lucky. We've got all that stuff and more."

She settled against him and this time he could tell she was going to fall asleep. She had asked him about his day earlier and he kept something from her, something he never did, but he just wasn't ready to say it out loud yet. He wondered how she would take the to news and he thought that for the first time in their marriage he had no clue how she would react. 

Tomorrow. He would tell her tomorrow and they would talk about itBecause that's what they did. 


	3. Happily Ever After 3

 

**Happily Ever After**

**by: Dee**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
 **Rating:** MATURE  
 **Disclaimer:** Not mine. His.   
**Summary:** 12 years later. Sequel to "The Middle"  
 **Feedback:** Always a pleasure.  


* * *

"What about Scrabble?" Donna suggested. They had just finished dinner and since Nate was stuck inside for the night Donna decided it would be a good night for a little bonding time. With everyone having succrazy schedules lately it was getting harder and harder for just the five of them to spend time together. 

"Dad cheats," Nate said.

"I do not," he lied.

"You so do. What about Monopoly?"

"Queer," Nate said shaking his head.

"I like Monopoly," Jess insisted.

"That's because you always win," Nate returned. "You've got a total money fetish."

"I do not. I simply like nice things. And I recognize that you neemoney to buy them."

"Dad I think Jess is turning into a Republican."

"Jessica can be a Republican if she wants," Donna said absently.

"No she can't," Josh corrected his wife.

"I want to be a republican too," Nora insisted. Mostly because she wanted to be whatever Jess wanted to be.

"Okay have I just stepped into some weird alternate universe?" Josh questioned the table at large. "Because if I have could somebody send me back."

"Josh you can't force your children to think like you do," Donna insisted.

"Yes, I can. I still pay for everything."

"Excuse me?" Donna asked.

"I mean everything except for what you pay for," Josh corrected lamely.

"Busted Dad," Nate chuckled. 

With that Josh reached over and grabbed his son in a headlock intent on giving him one very old fashioned noogie when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Nate said eluding his noogie for the moment

He opened the door and smiled. "Hey Uncle Leo, Uncle Jed what are you guys doing here?"

"Did you hear that Leo, I'm the former leader of the free world but I've just been called a guy. It's because I'm still cool."

"It's because you're with me. I chill you out."

Nate shook his head even as he smiled at the older men. He did havto admit that for older guys they could be funny sometimes. "Uncle Leo, please don't say `chill' ever ever again."

"Nate who is it?" Donna asked coming up behind her son then gasped in pleasure. "Leo, Mr. President. Josh, it's Leo and Mr. President!"

"You think your mother will ever be able to call me by my first name?" Jed asked stepping inside the foyer with Leo behind.

"Nah, she says it freaks her out for some reason."

"Nathan! Thank you." Donna admonished pushing her son out of the way so she could hug them both. "What are you doing in DC? Where's Abby and Jenny?"

"Oh sure, Abby you can call by her first name."

"Please don't give me a hard time," Donna requested kissing his cheek. "You look good."

"I am good. Where is the rest of the brood?"

Donna took them both into small den off of the foyer. "Sit and I'll get them."

Josh walked in with Jess trailing behind him. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"Just stopping by for a visit," Leo said. "Oh my gosh tell me this isn't Jessica?"

"Hi Uncle Leo, hi Uncle Jed," she said smiling shyly.

"Jessica you are looking more and more like your mother everyday," Jed noted taking in the young girl's long blond hair.

"Yeah I know. Donna and I are living in fear for the first gomer to call the house."

"Dad!"

Nora bounced into the room all smiles. "Hi Uncle Jed and Leo. Can I give you a kiss?"

"I would be honored," Jed told her leaning forward in his chair and offering his cheek. Leo did likewise but blushed a bit when Nora made a loud smacking noise.

"That one is our politician," Donna explained carrying in a tray of glasses filled with ice. "She has this need to kiss everyone she sees. Guys why don't you take it back in the kitchen and let us talk, okay."

The kids filed out and Donna set the glasses down. "What can I get you?"

"Tonic if you have it."

"I'll take one too, but leave out the tonic and fill it will Scotch instead."

"So what brings you here, really," Josh sitting down on the love seat across from them while Donna prepared their drinks.

She handed a glass to each of the men then poured one for herself and Josh and sat down next to him. "Yes, why do I not think this is a normal social visit?"

Leo and Jed exchanged a glance between them and then with Josh. Donna had the distinct impression she was being left out of the loop and instantly knew what this visit was about. It's not like she hadn't known that it might come some day. It's just that now that it was in front of her she suddenly felt this huge pit of dread form deep in her stomach. 

"You've been talking to Harris, Josh?" Jed put out there but it wasn't really a question.

"He approached me yesterday."

"He thinks now might be the time to start putting something together for the next election," Jed said.

"My next election is this November," Josh said being intentionally obtuse just because he wasn't sure how he felt about all this quite yet.

Leo grimaced hating to have to spell it out. "I'm talking about the presidential election in four years. The time will be right. If you're interested we need to start planning now."

Josh turned to Donna but didn't quite meet her eyes. 

"You knew about this yesterday?"

"Yeah," he admitted. 

"So what do you think?" Leo asked.

"I think I don't know. Donna and I haven't really discussed it."

"Is this something you want to do Josh?" Jed wondered. "Because let me tell you if you don't want it then all the polling world means nothing."

Again Josh looked toward Donna. "What do you think?"

Donna shook her head. She was in no way prepared to discuss this in front of Leo and the President. 

"The numbers look good, Josh. Really good," Leo said. "We put a sample poll in the field and you came out with over fifty percent among Democrats. You've been very visible in the media with your woron Social Security reform and you're a sweetheart of the Sunday news circuit. Most people can only name about five Senators. You're one of them."

"That's what Harris said."

"He thinks you should plan a trip to New Hampshire after the election." Jed said. "You could call it a family trip maybe give a few speeches. Get a few pictures of you and the kids picking applesThat's always a crowd pleaser. Then in another two years when you make the same trip it won't seem so…staged."

"I'll consider it," Josh said still trying to gage Donna's reaction.

"And Donna you could talk to Abby. She could give you a sense of what's to come. Maybe help you make your decision," Jed added.

Donna smiled and nodded. At least she hoped she was smiling.

Jed exchanged another look with Leo. "Well, we can't stay. I promised Charlie and Aleshia that we would stop by."

"You know I'm kind of sorry that it didn't work out with Zoe and Charlie all those years ago. Aleshia is…" Josh didn't know how to describe her. 

"Smarter than Josh," Donna filled in. "I think he's threatened by her."

"I am not threatened."

"She knows more about law than you do."

"That's not saying a whole lot," Josh fired back then realized he'd just slammed himself. "I keep forgetting I went to Law School."

"I know. I always get you with that one."

Leo shook his head and smirked at them. "Well I can see nothing muchas changed here. Come on old man we need to be at Charlie's by ninso we can be out of there by eleven or Aleshia will let us feed the baby. I don't want to feed the baby."

"Fine, but I'm not old," Jed grumbled.

"You're old," Leo told him.

"Then you're old too."

"This is true. Josh we'll be in touch. Donna, as always a pleasure. Tell your children good-bye for us."

Donna saw them both to the door and tried to smile even as a hundredifferent things went through her mind. She closed the door behind them and turned to face Josh who had shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his sweatpants. A sure sign of guilt.

"You didn't tell me about Harris."

"It just happened yesterday, Donna. I didn't even know if I shoultake him seriously."

"That wasn't why you didn't tell me."

She was right. It was one of the perks and pitfalls of marriage that the person you were married to could see right through you at all times.

"I didn't know how you would react."

"Better," she said walking back into the den. She sat in the leather chair vacated by Leo and tossed her feet up on an ottoman. Josh handed her, her drink and took his own and sat down across from her

"So how are you reacting?"

"Let's start with you first. Do you want to do this?"

"I think."

"Think?"

"It was always part of the plan in a vague hey I someday I would like to be the President of the United States sort of way," Josh said standing so he could pace. "But I haven't been thinking about it seriously. No one seriously thinks they will be the President of the United States until…"

"Until they're as close as you."

"Yeah. When Harris started talking about this a few months ago I thought he was crazy. Rice is pretty much a lock for the next fouyears. Then he came to me yesterday and started talking about the next race. Which should be wide open. Delany is going to be seventy-six and he's not in good health now. I doubt he is using the VicPresidency as a springboard to the Presidency. So that means a non-incumbent race. Mono e mono"

"Or woman."

Josh smiled at her. "You planning on running against me Mrs. Lyman."

"I might."

"You can get Jess to be your running mate, apparently she's a Republican."

Donna sipped her drink and studied him. It was strange. She couldn't really get a feel for what he wanted. She always imagined that if he made the decision to do it, to run, that he'd be like a bull in full charge and she wouldn't be able to sway him. Looking at him now, he seemed … swayable.

"You want me to talk you out of it?" she asked.

He turned to her but said nothing. "You tell me what you think first."

"I think I don't want you to do it. I think we talked about this election being your last one. Now we're talking another election in four years and then another one four years after that. If you do serve eight years…"

"Which come on, lets face it, I probably will.

"Then you're over seventy when all this is said in done."

"Donna I'm in great shape. If you're worried about my heart or something…"

"I'm not. I know you're in excellent shape. I'm being selfish. I'm thinking about our time together. We talked about traveling, just thtwo of us, once Nora heads off to college. I'm thinking about the kids and what it would be like for them. Zoe was already seventeen her first year of the administration. Both Jess and Nora would practically be raised in the White House. And me. It's one thing to be a hostess at your parties and fundraisers, or to help you study briefing memos or be a sounding board for issues. It's another thing to be the First Lady. That means a staff and television appearances and speeches. That means an agenda…." Donna's voice trailed off at that last thought.

"Thinking about all the things you would like to speak out about aren't you?"

Donna smirked then a little bit. "Yes, I guess I am."

"The First Lady has a pretty big microphone."

"Yes, she does."

"We could be good. Together. I think. Between what you're passionate about and what I'm passionate about, we cover a lot of ground."

"We do," she agreed thoughtfully. "So you want to do this?" 

"I think," he nodded. "I think so. It's funny because I always thought that it was a given, but when the decision is put in front of you, you don't realize how big it is. This isn't about me; it's noeven about you or my family. It's about the country. It's about thfuture and history. Am I the right guy? Am I the one who is supposed to be next so that I can do the right things for the people of his country? I don't know that I ever understood how awesome that was. Even when I was trying to get Bartlet elected or when I served on his staff, I don't think I every really understood how big it was."

"It's a different way of thinking, Josh. You've always been focused on the issue at hand. It's what makes you such a powerful foe or aincredible ally, when you give something your complete focus you always see it through to the end. You never relent. Never. But this is different. Someone once said about John Adams that he was a gifted politician because he could think largely about large things. You're not John Adams, Josh."

"I know. But I think I can be what I need to be. Now. At this stage of my life." He smiled at her then and flashed her his legendary dimples. "Let's face it Donna, I've mellowed."

This warranted a snort. "We should talk to the kids."

He nodded. 

"Then we should talk to the gang."

He nodded again. 

"And when I say the gang I mean Toby too."

"Donna…"

"I mean it, Josh. If we do this we need to do this with the people that we trust."

"I stopped trusting Toby twelve years ago."

"He's better now Josh. He's sober."

"How do you know this?"

"I know," she answered enigmatically. 

"How? Have you been talking to him?"

"I have talked to him, yes."

"Donna I can't believe you. I don't know how you can forgive him."

"I don't know how you can not forgive him," Donna said. "He made a mistake."

"With my family, Donna."

"Yes," she admitted. "It was a big one. But Nate is right on the cusp of making big mistakes too. Last night it was curfew, next time it could be drinking or who knows what else. Are you going to kick him out of your life?"

Josh sighed. "No."

"You should call him."

"I'll call him."

"And you should know something else. He remarried."

"Really."

"Yeah."

Josh could see there was more. "Do we know who he married?"

"Actually, you know her really well."

"Donna who is Toby married to?"

"Mandy Hampton."


	4. Happily Ever After 4

 

**Happily Ever After**

**by: Dee**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
 **Rating:** MATURE  
 **Disclaimer:** Not mine. His.   
**Summary:** 12 years later. Sequel to "The Middle"  
 **Feedback:** Always a pleasure.  


* * *

"Nate, you up?" 

"Yeah," he whispered back to Jess who was standing in his bedroom doorway. 

"We can't sleep."

"Me either," Nora chimed in moving around Jess to bounce on Nate's bed. He sat up resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to bed any time soon. "You should be asleep, Nora."

"I can't. I'm all excited."

"What do you think, Nate?" Normally, Jess didn't like to defer to her older brother in such matters, mostly because he was a big jerk whliked to pick on her. But this was different. This was important.

"I don't know. It's a big deal Jess. If he does it, when he does it, I'll be on my way to college, but you'll have to actually live there."

"I want to live in the White House. It's pretty," Nora said

"You don't get it Nora, you're just a kid," Nate told her and watched her pout. 

"It could be okay," Jess decided sitting on his bed next to Nora. "We would be famous."

"Yeah, but that means people would always be taking your picture and stuff. People you don't know would be talking about your hair and junk and whether they liked it or didn't. You know how it was for the other kids who grew up in the White House."

Jess nodded. "I would have to be perfect all the time."

"All of us would. Everyone would be looking at our grades, our friends. If we got into trouble, it would be news."

"I like the news," Nora blurted out sensing that her older siblings were against the idea of her daddy being President and she really wanted to live in the big house. She could have all her friends over to play all the time.

Nate shook his head then affectionately messed up Nora's hair. "Yowouldn't like it if you were on it all the time."

"So we should tell Dad that we don't want to do it," Jess stated.

"He did ask us for our opinion," Nate reminded her which he actually thought was pretty cool. Their father wasn't just going to run on his own. He actually wanted to know what they thought first. 

"Isn't there any good things?" Nora wanted to know.

Jess and Nate looked at each other. Jess shrugged. "It would be sort of cool to say our dad is the President. And he could do really good things for the country and the people."

"We could travel with him to countries around the world," Nate added. "Really see places, you know."

"We could ride in limos wherever we go," Jess smiled.

"We could live in the big house," Nora repeated thinking maybe thedidn't understand what that meant or how pretty the big house was. 

"Maybe we should vote," Jess suggested. 

"I vote yes!" Nora exclaimed raising her hand.

Nate sighed. He figured he was probably the only one who knew how hard it was going to be, but he was also the only one who knew how important this was. "Me too."

"I'll vote no, just so they know we put some thought into this," Jess concluded. "We'll tell them tomorrow."

****

Donna covered her mouth to stifle her chuckle. Josh wrapped his arm around her waist and led her back to their bedroom before they got caught eavesdropping outside of Nate's door. 

He closed the door quietly behind them and smiled at his wife. "Yoknow sometimes I can't believe they're ours."

"Sometimes, I absolutely know that they are ours," Donna replied crawling into bed and making a space next to her for her husband. "Let's go to sleep. And try to act surprised tomorrow when they tell us the outcome of the vote."

****

"We should call this off," Josh said for the hundredth time.

"We're not calling it off." Donna set the napkins on top of the good china. All that was left to do was light the candles and she was set.

"You don't think this is going to be weird."

"No."

"It's going to be weird," Josh concluded. He was sitting at the island in the kitchen nursing a beer calling out to Donna who was in the connecting dinning room. He was planning on at least one more beer before the guests arrived in the hopes that a little alcohol would make things less weird.

"You said you had a good conversation with him," she called back.

"I did," Josh admitted. At first it had been weird. At first it had been horrible. Josh struggled to find the words. Toby told him he was sorry. Josh told him he been out of his head with fear. Toby said he was a drunk, and that it had taken him two more years to figure that out. Josh told him that he should have been more forgiving; he should have been there for him. Toby told him that he was married to Mandy. Josh asked him if that had happened when he was a drunk. Toby laughed. Then Josh laughed. Then the next thing they both knew they were talking about the upcoming election. 

"So," Donna concluded stepping back for one last look at the presentation then turning back into the kitchen. "This won't be weird."

"But he's bringing Mandy."

"Yes, he is."

"You know I slept with her."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Please. You forget who was always in the room next to you on the campaign trail."

"You heard us!" Josh was at the same time shocked and a little turned on.

"She gave so many directional orders I never knew if you were havinsex or moving furniture," Donna smirked. "This way Joshua. Now a little this way. No, no, back, now forward. Forward!"

"Donna!"

She just laughed and walked over to her husband wrapping her arms around his waist. "I used to hate her," Donna confessed. "I used tput a pillow over my ears and pretend that I wasn't jealous, when althe time I really was."

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah."

"She used to be jealous of you too, you know."

"Oh I know. That's why she refused to call me by my name. Everything was Josh's assistant this, Josh's assistant that."

Josh smiled at the memory. "You think she's changed."

"No."

"Why do you think Toby married her?"

"They had a thing."

"What do you mean?"

"When she worked at the White House, they had thing. I don't know, call it chemistry or something. They used to get off fighting each other. I could see it. They must have run into each other again asome point and rekindled…"

"Their thing?"

"Yep."

"It's going to be weird," Josh repeated. 

"It's not."

"Toby and I both slept with her."

"So what? It was like twenty years ago."

"You never slept with Toby, right?"

"You mean in the last twenty years?"

"Donna!"

Donna laughed again, then the doorbell rang and she turned to get it. Nate, however, was already there since he was on his way out for the night. 

"I got it," he called out. He opened the door and on the other side was an older man with a gray beard and woman standing behind him also with black and white hair, wearing a dark suit. "Hello?"

"You're Nate," Toby said and suddenly a vision of this little boy sitting on his bed introducing him to his publican elephant nameSnuffles. It felt like yesterday, but the boy's size told him otherwise.

"I'm Nate."

"My name is Toby Ziegler. You used to call me…"

"Toby Wiggle, I know. My dad's been busting on me all week." The boy sort of leaned in to him. "Could we maybe forget that? I sort of have this reputation now."

"Sure." Toby entered the house and pulled Mandy along after him. Nate made way and shouted out, "Mom, Dad, Mr. Ziegler's here."

"So what happened to the elephant?"

"Oh man," Nate groaned again. "You know about the elephant too?"

"Snuffles, I believe was his name."

Nate shook his head and could feel his face flush. "Yeah. Could yomaybe forget about that too?"

"Your reputation?" 

"You see I'm going to be a sophomore next year and if any of the guyfound out…"

"My lips are sealed. I've kept top secret stuff confidential so you can trust that when I say my lips are sealed, my lips are in fact sealed."

"So sealed he has yet to introduce me. I'll just do it myself. I'm Mandy."

"Nate Lyman," Nate said taking the woman's hand and trying nogrimace at her grip. For an old lady she was pretty strong.

"You look like your father."

"That's what everybody says."

"Do you believe you're always right?"

"No."

"Then I see you got your mother's sensibilities."

"And my smile," Donna said coming up behind her son. "Hi, Mandy."

"Donna. It's good to see you. Joshua you look old."

"Ah Madeline, and you haven't changed a bit."

"Now now children," Toby intervened. "Let's put on a good face. Aleast in front of the children."

"She started," Josh muttered.

"You're still so immature," Mandy returned although there was a twinkle in her eye as she said it. 

Donna stepped in between them and put on her best hostess face. "This way everyone." She led them into the living room and settled everyone with drinks and tonic water for Toby.

Josh sort of eyed his beer then looked at Toby. "Is this okay?"

"You mean you drinking. Yeah. Part of learning how to cope is learning how to be around alcohol but not drink it."

"So you go to meetings?"

"Yep."

"How did you…When did you finally decide to stop?"

"Mandy found me and kicked my ass."

Both Josh and Donna looked at Mandy who was smiling at her husband. She reached over and grabbed his hand, and Josh thought it was the most affectionate gesture he had ever seen her give anyone. 

"I found him in a bar in the Lower West Side of Manhattan," Mandy explained. "I was there with friends and he was sitting at the end of the bar, getting drunk. He didn't even recognize me at first. Then I told him he looked like shit, to get off the bar stool and follow me, and two days after that I had him in AA."

"Why?" Donna wondered. "I mean I told Josh I thought you two a thinwhen you were working at the White House…"

"We didn't have a thing," Mandy insisted. "You and Josh, you two had a thing. It's why I hated you."

"Because you wanted Josh back?" Donna assumed. 

"Oh good lord no. Actually I think I just hated you because you had longer legs than me."

The two women chuckled, but Josh looked slightly offended.

"At first I stayed with him because I couldn't bare to see talent like that go waist. I thought I was saving his mind. Then I realized I was really just trying to save his body."

"Oh gross," Josh coughed.

"Don't be jealous Joshua. I can't help it if Toby is a stud," Mandteased. 

"Moving right along…So you're thinking about doing it?" Toby asked sipping on his tonic soda.

"What do you think?"

"I think things are going to look good in four years."

"You in?"

"I could be swayed. We both could."

Josh looked to Mandy and saw her nod once. "Okay, but she can't be in a position where she gets to tell me what to do."

They all laughed and the conversation turned to strategy and players. Would they be able to lure Sam away from his practice and what would his wife Linda think. She'd never been part of the political world. As the head of her own consulting firm, CJ was no lock either, but Josh was convinced she could be persuaded. Charlie and Aleshia were actually eager for the fight. They talked about plans, aboupolicies, about mistakes that needed to be corrected, and initiatives that needed attention. They talked about making a better future and by the end of the long night they actually believed they could do it.

****

Later that night in bed Donna rested her head on Josh's shoulder. "Told you it wouldn't be weird."

"You were right."

"Hmm," Donna sighed as if to say when wasn't she.

"Mandy's the same."

"Yes."

"She has a unique brand of bitchiness that can be fun in small doses."

"Small doses. We really need to be careful not to give her too mucpower."

"That will be Charlie's call. I'm going to let him run the show."

Donna raised herself up on her elbow. "You're already talking as if it's a done thing."

"I'm going to run," he told her. And this time she heard the finality of his words.

"Okay. Then I guess I'm running with you."

She rested her head back down on his shoulder and thought of the years to come. They would be chaotic, stressful, frustrating and hard. They might also be the most important years of their life.

"I love you," Josh whispered his voice filled with an intensity thaonly came when he actually used the words. 

"I love you too."

"I'm ready."

"Then let's do it."

The End.


End file.
